TOP 5 Most Expensive Jewels Sold at Auctions in 2015

January 10, 2016

If you are a jewellery enthusiast or collector in a constant search of rare, exceptional gemstones and important jewels with provenance, you must have been avidly tracking the auctions at Sotheby’s and Christies. And for those of you who haven’t, we take a look back at the five fabulous and most expensive gems and jewels that went under the hammer in 2015 at record-breaking prices.

If we could, we’d nominate Hong Kong billionaire Joseph Lau for the ‘Best Dad of The Year’ award. He bought the ring with ‘The Blue Moon’ diamond for his daughter at a staggering price and renamed it after her. The exceptional Fancy Vivid Blue diamond ring sold for an eye-watering 48,634,000 CHF (approx. 48.5m USD at the time of sale): a ‘world record price for a diamond, gemstone or jewel.’

The Blue Moon – 48.5m USD – Sotheby’s

The fabulous jewel is now known as ‘The Blue Moon of Josephine’ and features an internally flawless cushion-shaped fancy vivid blue diamond, weighing 12.03ct. The stone’s colour and shape are evocative of the full moon and is the kind of rare gem that probably comes along once in a blue moon. A rather fitting name we’d say. Crafted by Cartier, the ‘Sunrise Ruby’ is set with a cushion-shaped Burmese ruby of pigeon blood colour weighing 25.59 cts, between shield-shaped diamonds weighing 2.47 and 2.70 cts.

The 12.03 cts Blue Moon diamond

Sunrise Ruby – 30.34m USD – Sotheby’s

The jewel smashed the record at the Sotheby’s auction to become the most expensive ruby ever sold. The depth of colour, combined with a high clarity and brilliance, all contribute to the beauty of the gem, states the report from Gübelin – the gemmological laboratory that determines the authenticity of the stones.

25.59 cts Sunrise Ruby Ring by Cartier

The Sweet Josephine – 28,52m USD- Christie’s

Josephine’s daddy Joseph Lau sure loves her a lot. He flew to Christies, Geneva, to buy her a cushion-shaped fancy vivid pink diamond, set within a double pave diamond frame, at 28,725,000 CHF (approx. $28.52m USD at the time of sale). Then he christened the 16.08 cts fancy vivid pink diamond after his daughter – ‘The Sweet Josephine.’ May we remind you that apart from this extraordinary stone she is the owner of ‘The Blue Moon of Josephine” blue diamond listed above? One lucky lady!

The Sweet Josephine 18.08 cts pink diamond ring

Emerald Cut Diamond – 22.09m USD – Sotheby’s

This spectacular ‘Emerald Cut Diamond’ mounted on a platinum ring is too huge to sit elegantly on the finger. But who cares? We guess size matters after all. The 100.20 ct diamond was snapped up at the Sotheby’s auction at a whopping 22.09m USD (at the time of sale). The D-colour diamond is internally flawless, no wonder it set the buyer’s heart aflutter with delight.

The 100 cts D-IF emerald cut diamond

The Crimson Flame – 18.38m USD – Christie’s

Turned out that Christies, Hong Kong, had a stunner in hand earlier last year: a cushion-shaped ruby, weighing approx. 15.04 ct, within a cushion-shaped diamond surround. Entitled ‘The Crimson Flame,’ the vivid red ruby with an attractive cutting style represented the ‘hallmarks of classical rubies mined in the Mogok valley in Burma.’ The ruby fetched a sale price of 141,800,000 HKD (approx. $18.38m USD at the time of sale).